For many years I have considered myself a painter, yet for the past year I have been exploring other art forms which have been incredibly stimulating. This week I have been doing installation works with torn strips of material and wool; first in my back yard then at the community garden.

I have come to the conclusion that gardening and art are a harmonious match. For over a year now I have been attending my local community garden and have been expressing myself through creativity which has everyone calling me the “resident artist”.

It really is such an easy environment to be arty farty and I am so glad that there are committed gardeners who create such a place for me to play. Just recently I have started my own backyard permaculture style garden and creating artworks in the backyard is a given.

I started to make a different style of teepee

As I was constructing my installation work I was thinking about the connection between a garden and art. As the Garden of Eden was the first dwelling place for humans and we are created in God’s image then I am only doing what God did. I am being creative within his creation. I am imitating the great creator and feeling awesome while I do it. I don’t care if that makes me sound weird but, that’s enough for me to rejoice in such a wonderful match.

Like this:

I have come to the conclusion FINALLY, that being a mum is a full-time job and having a child with special needs is overtime!!!

I am not being a victim here by the way, I am just finally acknowledging something that should have been acknowledged long ago. My life is full on and I can’t do everything therefore if swanning about in a kaftan in my backyard like some queen bee makes me feel happy then I’m going to do it guilt free!!

From a worldly point of view I am unemployed but in reality that’s just not true. Worldly expectations I think, can be very damaging if you allow the pressure of life to way you down.

Worldly expectations: YOU SUCK

You suck the life out of living

You suck the dreams out of people

you suck energy out of the strongest

you suck the creativity out of the artist

you just suck you meanie!!

Who do you think you are? I am living the best life I can and my expectations come from God anyway, which are soooooo much easier, so worldly standards and point of view; let me describe what I am doing right now,

I am giving you the bird when I decide to swan about

I am giving you the bird when I decide to make a teepee in the garden

I am giving you the bird when I allow my child with a disability play with his ipad for as long as he wants to

I am giving you the bird when I don’t care about your stupid silly rules

I am giving you the bird when I decide to do what matters instead of living up to the unobtainable.

It may sound as though I am angry but I’m not. I am just deciding to do what really matters and I will now choose to put my love and energies into the most important people in my life; my family. Those are the people who need me to be strong, energised and happy, therefore I shall swan about feeling sexy and when I am happy my family will be happy.

I’ve made an interesting observation about gardeners; that they are always wanting to share their produce with an abundance of enthusiasm. Does gardening make one generous? I think that when you partake in gardening that it connects you to the earth and also for me, it connects me to a facet of God’s love. Gardening is like art, there is something abundant about the nature of such activities and withholding seems such a ludicrous thing to do.

I have found that gardening is better shared. When I reflect back at my experience as a lone gardener I got discouraged very quickly and found myself not enjoying the process any more. Today I am not alone. Although I am not on an eco-village in a straw-bail house (which was the original dream), I am in the middle of suburbia with a strong connection to my local community garden. I can’t express how awesome that makes me feel right now!!!!

The best part of putting this garden together today is, how nothing cost me a cent. Last time I bought everything. I was able to obtain the seed potato’s from the community garden and the newspaper, compost and mulch were all in my back yard waiting to be used.

The rocks were also obtained from my back yard. I love how I have spent nothing.

I want to live simply and enjoy the abundance that God has for me………I think I can say that I’m living the dream right now 🙂

Being a part of a community garden is a great way to experience life. Most weeks while we are there, someone cooks a feed and we are able to enjoy sunshine, food and company.

Last Tuesday was no different, yet I felt very reflective of the day and of what happens when we meet there. I love the simplicity of how food is harvested and nothing is wasted. I love how the fresh food is cooked, shared and friendships are either developed or maintained. I love how nothing is rushed and just being yourself is encouraged.

Is life meant to be like this somehow? What do we need in life? For a while now God has been showing me about his love using the illustration of a garden. I am learning about provision, friendship/family, sustainability and seeking the Fathers heart.

I do not want to chase worldly ways but heavenly ways. Perhaps my mind is on Heavenly thoughts but the garden keeps me grounded yet connected with God

So what did we eat? Sweet potato, parsnips, potato’s, kale, spinach and other greens. I also like this style of cooking as there is no recipe but use what is available coupled with creativity.